The Company We Keep
by ANGSWIN
Summary: A case of mistaken identity, an affectionate cat, and a whole lot of books bring an unlikely couple together.
1. Mistaken Identity

Written for the 2019 Hermione's Haven Bingo challenge  
Square: G4 - Prompt: Mistaken Identity

* * *

**The Company We Keep**

_Mistaken Identity (Chapter 1 of 4)_

"C...Cedric?"

Edward heard the shocked and hesitant voice behind him and slowly turned around to see the speaker. _Bella?_ was his very first thought. However, it only took him a fraction of a second to realize that the pretty and lively-haired woman who stood there bore only a superficial resemblance to the girl he had once known and loved. She had the same pale skin and dark hair, at any rate. However, he quickly noticed that her eyes held an intensity that Bella's never had.

…

Even though several years had passed since Edward had last seen Bella Swan...and he knew that his feelings for her had finally faded away...he still felt a very slight twinge of regret when he saw the unknown woman and thought about his first love. However, even though it had hurt at the time, he knew it was definitely the best thing for everyone involved when that dog…Jacob Black…imprinted on her after he came into his tribal creature inheritance. Ironically, the two of them were apparently meant to be together after all.

_Bella is happy…and safe…with him. That's all that really matters,_ Edward reminded himself sternly. After all, he was the one who had practically hand delivered her to the mongrel's bed when he had sacrificed his own happiness to leave her in Forks in order to protect her from the dangers of associating with him and his family. In addition to that, through Alice, who still kept in discreet contact with Bella over the years, he had seen the pictures of her children with the wolf. If that was not definitive proof that she had moved on from him, then he did not know what was.

…

Edward had never gone back to Forks after that, either, even though the rest of the Cullens occasionally visited for whatever reason. Instead, he had traveled the world until time and distance had healed the residual wounds and his non-beating heart had finally felt whole again. At that point, he felt that he was able to move on, as well.

For him, ironically, that meant that he was ready to settle down. Consequently, he purchased a small cottage on a large isolated piece of game land in the perpetually drizzly English countryside. He found that it was the perfect place to keep his secret and to _live his life_ – so to speak. It was a peaceful location and the entire Cullen family had already visited and had given the place their approval…except for Rosalie, of course. It was to be expected, however, so Edward was not surprised or offended at all when she declared his new quiet and cozy home to be much too _primitive_ for her tastes. He liked it though, and that was what really counted. However, other than the visiting Cullens, Edward usually kept to himself. He spent most of his time playing music, reading books, and taking long drives in his fast car. All in all, it was a slow kind of life…but Edward was in no hurry.

One surprising reason for his contentment was that he was also adopted by a cat soon after he moved into his cottage. Even though most animals instinctively avoided his kind as apex predators, the feline with the intelligent eyes just did not seem to care about what he was. The odd-looking creature, who was practically all ears and spots, had simply pushed his way through the partially-open door one day…and never really left. Edward found that he did not really mind the intrusion because, against all expectations, he actually became quite fond of his new housemate.

Afterwards, Dickens - so named for the author of the first book he sat on upon his arrival - could often be found curled up on Edward's lap while he read or on the bench next to him when he played the piano. This unexpected company during his self-imposed isolation brought comfort to Edward and kept him from getting too lonely. At least once a week, though, he did make a point to visit the closest town in order to stock up on basic supplies. He obviously did not need to buy groceries for himself, but the cat needed to eat…and he did feel it necessary to visit the bookstore there on a regular basis, as well.

…

In fact, it was on one such visit to town when he was browsing in _Written Treasures,_ as usual, that he heard the soft gasp and the murmured name from the woman-who-was-not-Bella as she stood beside him holding a large bag of books that she had just purchased for herself. He felt her eyes on him, but when he turned to meet her warm brown gaze with his own golden one, she stared at him in even further shock for a moment. Her scrutiny was brief, but so intense that Edward could not help but to wonder what she saw when she looked at him.

_To be sure she does not know what I am,_ he started to think with a bit of alarm before he was interrupted by her apology.

"I am _so_ sorry," she said earnestly as she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. She then gave him a small charming smile which immediately soothed his doubts before she continued. "I didn't mean to be rude, but I thought that you were someone else for just a moment. Your profile is just so similar to his that it simply took me by surprise. I should have known better, of course, because…well…he has been…_gone_…for quite some time now." The woman paused to search his eyes again and nodded before her tone grew much quieter as to not be overheard by the other patrons when she dropped her next bombshell of a statement. "Then again, I can see that apparently you have, too." At his stunned silence following that very telling remark, she blushed when she realized exactly what she had said without thinking. She then stammered another apology and immediately left the store before he could even find his voice.

Despite his great speed, however, she was nowhere to be seen by the time he was able to gather his wits and actually try to follow her. It was only afterwards, as he stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, completely confused by the encounter, that he realized he had not been able to hear her thoughts…nor had she smelled like just any other ordinary human to him. Strangely enough, her blood did not call to him at all, either…and he wondered what that meant. At that point, he did the only reasonable thing that he could do. He went back to his cottage and called Alice.

* * *

For her part, as soon as she left the book shop, Hermione immediately turned into a side alley and apparated straight back to her office in the Ministry. At her urging, Kingsley's less prejudiced administration had split the old Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures into two separate units – one for the creatures and one for the sentient beings. As the Head of the newly formed Magical Beings Liaison Department, Hermione now had the privilege of being able to apparate straight in and out of the Ministry itself. It was one of the reasons that she had felt comfortable moving so far away from London after her breakup with Ron a couple of years earlier. Not only did the move give her the physical and emotional distance that she desperately needed after that turbulent event, but she also knew that, even with the distance, she would not have any trouble traveling back and forth to work with such a special benefit.

Ron, however, was not the one who was on her mind at the moment. In fact, Hermione knew without a doubt that she had been completely over him for quite a while. Now she thought only of the _man_ in the bookstore who, according to the gossipy owner, had been Hermione's newest and closest neighbor for the last several months. Due to the fact that she lived near a Muggle town, but still needed to keep her magical secret, Hermione tended to keep to herself in her own little cottage on the far side of the private game lands. Since she did most of her shopping in London, however, she only occasionally went to the village. That is why she had not seen the newest resident before…or even knew that there was a new resident in the first place – not until he had been specifically pointed out to her by old Mrs. Figgleston as being "quite the yummy young dish!"

…

Upon arrival at her destination in the Ministry, Hermione went straight to the row of old fashioned filing cabinets on the far wall in her office. All of the files in her department were spelled to update automatically with the current status of all of the magical beings located in her jurisdiction. Therefore, she knew without a doubt that she would find the information for which she was looking.

With just a flick of her wand, a magically expanded drawer opened in the last cabinet and a similarly expanded file folder labeled _Being: Vampire _levitated out onto her desk. Hermione sat down to peruse it and soon found out what she wanted to know _– _especially since her expertise and knowledge about the meaning of eye color also led her to quickly flip to the relevant subsection_: Food Source: Animal Consumption. _ A few more page flips through locations in Britain soon brought her to the correct region - and the identity and picture of her unexpected new neighbor appeared at the top of the page in front of her. The one whom she had briefly confused for Cedric Diggory was actually named Edward Cullen…and in front of her was confirmation of her suspicion that he was indeed a vampire, albeit a "vegetarian" one…and that he lived just on the opposite side of the game lands from her. In fact, he now owned them.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she put away the file, though, since she knew that she would not have to worry about the safety of the Muggles in her village from him. In fact, the reason that he had purchased the game lands was blatantly obvious. However, that sigh soon turned into a one of embarrassment as she remembered exactly how she had reacted when they met. It was not even the fact that he was a vampire that had bothered her then – especially since he was a consumer of animal blood. After all, she had met several of them through her work and knew that they tended to be very pleasant and polite individuals…as opposed to the usually hot-tempered and volatile drinkers of human blood.

In reality, it was the shock of the unexpected combination of events. Seeing a vampire who looked so much like a long dead classmate standing in the middle of a bookstore in her quiet Muggle village and then her almost-involuntary loss of control as she outed her knowledge about him had temporarily flustered her so much that she thought it would just be better if she removed herself from the situation entirely while she collected all of the pertinent information.

_The fact that he was simply gorgeous had not helped the situation, either_, she thought – especially since she had been single for quite a long time. Hermione paused at that unexpected thought. She did not really know where it had come from or what it had to do with anything, but she knew that it did not excuse her unintentional rudeness. She then sighed again as she realized what she was going to have to do next to relieve her conscience over her unprofessional behavior. She would have to apologize to him again and explain the situation…in person. It was the right thing to do.


	2. Mystery Revealed

Edward found that the intriguing woman from the bookstore was almost constantly on his mind as he drifted through the rest of that day and the night, as well – especially since he no longer had any need to sleep. At any rate, he still did not understand why he could not hear her thoughts…or even smell her blood for that matter. He should have been able to do at least one or the other. After all, even though he could not _hear_ Bella, her blood had still called to him…and he had been in love with _her!_ What was it about this particular woman…this stranger…that made her so different?

Alice had been of no help in the matter, either, when he had called her. For some reason, she could not _see_ the mysterious woman, but she also did not sense any danger surrounding Edward, either. In fact, his adopted sister seemed to be much more excited than anxious about the fact that neither of their gifts would work in such an instance. No one had piqued Edward's interest at all since Bella - yet he had _finally_ been interested enough in the mysterious woman to actually ask about _her._ Alice did not know why she could not _see_ this bookstore woman, but she _could _see that her brother was going to be very happy in the near future…and that was all that mattered to her – even if she had not mentioned that little detail to him. After all, the journey was always the best part, and she wanted Edward to enjoy every step of his!

…

Even though Alice could not or would not explain further, her enthusiasm relieved Edward's mind quite a bit. After all, even if he did not understand why or how, it was clear that the unusual woman had known exactly _what_ he was. The strange part, however, was that he also now realized that even though she had left quickly, she had not seemed to be afraid of him. In fact, amazingly enough, she had acted more embarrassed than anything else.

_What kind of human woman cares about what a vampire thinks of her? _Edward could not help but to wonder. It was a mystery and the first real thing to actually interest him since he had begun this quiet little existence. Therefore, he groaned with frustration when he had to acknowledge the fact that he might not ever be able to find out – especially since he did not know who the intriguing woman was or where to find her.

He only hoped that he would run into her in the bookstore again eventually. After all, she had to be a resident of the village. Judging by the size of her bag, she had bought too many books to simply be passing through on her way to somewhere else. Consequently, he considered the idea that maybe he should visit the grocers occasionally, as well. Perhaps he would see her there. Even though she recognized him for what he was, she was obviously not a vampire herself. Therefore, she probably went food shopping - and it certainly would not hurt for him to be seen buying such items, either.

He knew that he really should have some basic provisions on hand, other than cat food, in his fridge and cabinets for the sake of appearances, if nothing else. After all, Carlisle and Esme had always made a point of keeping a full pantry – just in case. In fact, he did not even have any tea or coffee on hand. That could be difficult to explain since that also meant there would be nothing to offer an unexpected visitor in the unlikely event he should have one. Despite the fact that he still really had no desire for any such company, he surprised himself quite a bit with the realization that he certainly would not complain if his attractive mystery woman just happened to stop by.

Before Edward could analyze that thought any further, however, he was distracted from his musings by the sound of a loud _crack_ \- which caused the cat's substantial ears to twitch. The noise was then followed by the previously unheard sound of what he assumed was his door knocker. Apparently, for the first time since he moved in, he had company that was not family. He knew his lack of visitors up to that point had been the result of living just too far off the beaten path for even the most curious of the villagers – which was one of the main reasons why he had chosen his cottage in the first place. At any rate, the sudden and unexpected appearance of the visitor was quite ironic given his recent thoughts. Curiosity encouraged him to open his mind in order to hear who it was and what they wanted. However, all he received in return was silence.

_Could that mean…?_ he thought hopefully as he swung the door open…and was immediately rewarded by the sight of the very woman about whom he had just been thinking.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen," she said politely before he could gather his thoughts fast enough to say anything himself. "I'm sorry to show up unannounced, but I could not find a number for you…and I really thought it was important to deliver my apology in person. My name is Hermione…Hermione Granger…and I just wanted to…Oooh, you have a kneazle!"

_How does she know my name?_ was Edward's first thought as she introduced herself, but then he could not help but to blink in surprise at her apparent non-sequitur when Dickens ran right out onto the cottage stoop and wound himself affectionately around the visitor's ankles. The slightly sheepish look that the woman had previously worn was then suddenly replaced by a bright delighted smile. When she turned that unexpectedly attractive look back toward him, Edward felt so warm that he could have sworn that his heart had actually started to beat again for a minute. Fortunately, the woman did not seem to notice since she had bent down to pick up the loudly purring Dickens (who had stretched himself up her leg in a not-so-subtle gesture to demand attention). Edward was then slightly distracted by the fact that he could have sworn the feline wore a smug smirk of superiority as it glanced in his direction.

"A kneazle?" he asked, as he sorted through all of the questions that buzzed in his mind before he settled on the first one to ask her.

"Oh, yes! You didn't know?" she questioned in return as she continued to stroke the cat…and then laughed a little when Dickens snuffled her chin and tickled it with his whiskers. "It's quite an honor when a kneazle chooses you – especially since they are the most intelligent of all the magical feline breeds…as well as the pickiest when it comes to settling down with a family. They are such good judges of character, though, and only associate with those who are trustworthy. I used to have a half-kneazle friend myself for many years until he passed away right before I moved here. They are very long-lived creatures, but Crooks was already a much older cat by the time I met him when I was a young teenager. I miss him very much, though, and have often thought about seeing if another one would adopt me. That seems to be an especially good idea now that I have met this very fine fellow." Here she turned her attention back to Dickens again and gently stroked his large ears. At the obvious praise and affection, the feline butted his head up against her neck as she held him securely in her arms…and he showed his contentment with the increased volume of his purrs.

"In fact, you must be something very special indeed, Mr. Cullen," she continued. "I have never heard of a kneazle who chose to live with a vampire before!" Those words were spoken playfully as she looked up at him then with a sparkle in her eye. At that moment, most of the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place for him.

"You're a witch!" he stated as he made the logical connection. It would explain how the mysterious woman knew who and what he was, but why he could not _hear_ her or why Alice could not _see_ her, either. Somehow her magic must have interfered with their gifts. It was not really a question, but Hermione Granger's bright answering smile confirmed his theory anyway.

…

A short time later, Edward looked over at the woman who had made herself comfortable on his sofa and shook his head incredulously. Even though vampires and witches were both technically considered to be parts of the same vast magical community, they did not usually have much interaction with each other. In fact, it was often more of an uneasy watch-and-be-watched sort of relationship.

On one hand, vampires were usually faster and stronger than human witches and wizards - and could use them as a food source if they so desired. Therefore, the magical governments tried to keep tabs on the vampire individuals under their jurisdiction for safety reasons. That was the intent, at any rate - even though it often proved to be a difficult feat due to the nomadic tendencies of the average vampire. Nevertheless, because of their dietary choices and unique family lifestyle, the Cullen clan had often stayed mainly in place for long periods of time. Consequently, they had always been mainly ignored. They were not deemed to be enough of a threat to be kept under more than just a cursory surveillance.

On the other hand, even though most vampires acquired "gifts" when they turned, they could not perform actual magic – not even the few of them who could do so before the change. At any rate, even extremely gifted vampires could not usually match the raw power and scope that many witches and wizards possessed. Consequently, the two groups were pretty evenly matched and kept a careful eye on each other when in close proximity to one another…but mainly they just left well enough alone.

It was not forbidden nor unheard of for there to be some crossover, however. Edward suddenly remembered that there was an elderly native Alaskan wizard who had been friendly with the Denali branch of the family – even though he had only met the man once or twice during his stays there. It was not a customary practice, though, and therefore it felt a bit surreal that this woman…a witch…should be in his house of her own free will as she cuddled his cat (who was apparently a magical creature, as well – and he could not help but to wonder how he had not realized that before she pointed it out. It seemed so obvious in hindsight!). Consequently, he could only watch in a state of bemusement as she also carried on a mostly one-sided, cheerfully casual and unconcerned conversation with him. Not only that, but she did it while she made a pot of tea from the supplies she had unceremoniously dug out of her bigger-on-the-inside bag after he had sheepishly confessed to his lack of preparation for guests.

…

For her part, Hermione seemed completely at-ease once she had finished her apology for her poor manners and ill-conceived comment in the bookstore. Edward simply waved off the need for any such apology, and had instead issued an invitation for her to come inside. He looked so surprised at his own action, however, that she had to repress an undignified giggle as she carried the kneazle over the threshold. She knew without a doubt that Harry would give her a hard time if he found out that she had ventured into an unknown vampire's lair without backup. However, Hermione was the expert in this field and she knew instinctively that she was in no danger. To her, the kneazle in her arms was proof enough of that. Plus, as she entered the residence, she noted immediately that the place was as unlair-like as it could possibly be. In fact, his cottage seemed to have the exact same cozy layout that hers did.

Consequently, while she made her tea, Hermione told Edward the story that she had heard from the realtor about the man who had built matching cottages on each side of the heavily forested game land that he owned many years ago so that his only son could raise his family on the adjacent farm land. However, the last surviving member of that family had fallen into debt and had sold most of the farm land first. Then the remaining acreage was sold along with the farm cottage…which Hermione had purchased. The other cottage (that one that they currently occupied) complete with the forested area, was sold sometime after his death…apparently to Edward.

"For obvious reasons, I do like my privacy," the witch told the vampire while she drank her tea and gently stroked Dickens the kneazle who was draped over her lap. "Therefore, I love that my farm cottage is a bit isolated. However, I would not have minded having the forested area, too, but it was not available at the time. I realize now, of course, that it makes much more sense for you to have it – especially since it will make discreet hunting so much easier for you. At any rate, I am glad that we ended up as neighbors. It will be nice to be able to let my guard down a bit in front of at least one person…if you know what I mean."

At her apparent meaning, Edward could only stare at his visitor. He was amazed once again by her apparent knowledge _of _– but absolute disregard _for_ \- his possibly dangerous nature. He knew that he should probably bring up the topic himself, to clear the air…and to warn her. In fact, he opened his mouth to do so…but it was too late. Hermione had caught sight of his prolific book collection. With a soft noise of delight, she had set down her teacup and gently relocated Dickens, before she had moved towards his wall of ceiling-to-floor bookcases almost as fast as Edward could himself. She was soon engaged in perusing his shelves with the intensity of a true bibliophile…and before he even realized what had happened, she had engaged him in a lively literary discussion that continued for several pleasant hours. In fact, it was not until her stomach rumbled insistently that either of them realized just how late in the evening it really was. By that time, however, they were on a first name basis and, despite his doubts, Edward found that for some reason he had issued an open invitation for her to come visit Dickens, his library, and even _him - _anytime she wanted_._


	3. The Intrigue Continues

After Hermione had apparated away to take care of her dinner and work preparations for the following day, Edward sank down on his sofa in silent contemplation as he realized just how much he had enjoyed his evening. How long had it been since he had experienced such an intellectually stimulating discussion with someone other than Carlisle? Even more importantly, why had he felt so comfortable with the woman? As if to answer that question, Dickens stalked over to make himself at home in the vampire's lap. As Edward stroked the kneazle, he thought about how Hermione had pointed out that those particular felines were good judges of character. Since the cat had attached himself to the witch all evening, Edward knew that it did not take a genius to figure out what that meant.

Such pleasant and surprising musings were interrupted, however, when his cell phone rang. Edward did not even need to have the gift of precognition himself to know that Alice would be on the other end. Of course, his sister would have known that he had just played host to an unusual visitor – even if she could not _see_ who it was. Before he could even say anything, though, Alice's clearly exited tone asking, "Well? How did it go?" rang in his ear. Suddenly, he found himself smiling as he told her all about his magical new neighbor…and _yes,_ he even admitted under Alice's smug questioning that he had found Hermione to be both extremely interesting and very attractive.

…

As Hermione sat down to her solitary dinner that evening, her mind inevitably turned towards her neighbor, as well. Because of her work, socializing with another type of magical being was not quite the novelty for her that it apparently was for Edward. However, enjoying a conversation with such an articulate, intelligent, and (she could not deny it) extremely handsome male to the point where she actually lost track of time was completely out of the norm for her. Nevertheless, she had to admit that she looked forward to repeating the experience…_soon - _even though she was not sure what she hoped would happen. She did not yet know if she was just looking for a good neighborly friend…or something _more_…but she did know that she would happily keep an open mind about both options – just in case. After all, the thought of romance with a vegetarian vampire did not frighten her in the least – not after some of the other dating disasters she had experienced in the past few years – and that definitely included her time with Ron!

…

For his part, as soon as the shops were open the next day, Edward made a point to go to the grocers. However, he would not quite admit to himself that he did it because he hoped that his neighbor would take him up on his offer and come back_ soon_…or that a full pantry in his house might be a bit of insurance that she did not have to leave quite so early the next time around.

…

For both of them,however,_ soon_ turned out to be a couple of days later. Even though Hermione thought about her fascinating neighbor quite a bit the day right after her first visit, an interspecies conflict arose that kept her working at the office until late at night while she soothed both ruffled feathers _and_ scaly hides. With her help as mediator, though, the territorial dispute was finally resolved. However, after all of that drama, she was much too exhausted to do more than floo to Grimmauld Place and spend the night in Harry and Ginny's guest room as she often did whenever she worked too late to apparate home safely.

The next day was a bust, as well - especially since she still had to complete the mountains of bureaucratic paperwork generated by the dispute…and then the agreements of the subsequent truce…before she could finally apparate back home. By that time, Hermione was too tired to do more than to slip on her pajamas and fall into bed. She did not even have dinner. Regardless of her fatigue, she did have just enough energy to spare a thought for Edward as she wondered what he usually did with his nights, since he obviously did not need them for something as mundane as _sleeping._ The vast array of possibilities made her smile as she drifted off into some much needed slumber herself. Little did she realize that she was in Edward's thoughts at that moment, as well.

…

Edward found himself more restless than usual those two nights. He had to admit that he was extremely disappointed that Hermione had not visited again and he wondered what he should do about it. He briefly considered the possibility of a quick run across the game lands to sneak a peek of her while she slept – just to make sure that she was alright. However, he immediately pushed that thought out of his mind. Hermione was _not_ Bella, and he realized that such an independent woman probably would not appreciate that kind of action on his part at all.

In fact, he realized how inappropriate it would be to breach her privacy – even if it was done with the best of intentions. That did not even take into consideration the fact that she was a witch. Therefore, she had probably placed magical security defenses on her home to deal with uninvited and unwelcome visitors. Edward was well aware that most people would include vampires on that list, as well. Not much could hurt his kind, but they were not indestructible. Therefore, he decided that it was better to be safe than sorry and he resigned himself to wait until the following evening and try a more orthodox approach rather than run the risk of alienating the fascinating and attractive witch. If she did not show up then, however, he would definitely call her. After all, much to his surprise, she had given him her business card right before she left on the previous night. Edward took it out to look again at the words emblazoned across the front of it.

HERMIONE GRANGER

Head

Magical Beings Liaison Department

Ministry of Magic - London, England

"Fair Treatment for All"

The information on the front, as impressive as it was, did not really surprise him – especially since Hermione had already told him about her work when she explained how she had found out where he lived. On the other hand, however, the last minute inclusion of her personal number on the back before she handed it to him had floored him. It really seemed as if the friendly witch wanted to establish at least a neighborly relationship with him. Part of him could not help but to wonder if she could ever possibly want more than that, though. He immediately chided himself for that ridiculous notion, however. After all, they had _just_ met…and she was _human_. Had he not given up his relationship with Bella for that very same reason…for her own protection? Why would he even consider such a preposterous idea again then?

It was all true. However, his heart…as non-beating as it was…already knew from their short acquaintance that he could not compare Hermione to Bella. After all, Hermione was an adult woman whose personality and intellect…instead of blood…appealed to him. Whereas Bella had been just a normal teenage girl whose blood had sang to him and had been the first aspect of her to attract him. Therefore, Edward could easily realize that even though he had truly cared for her, Bella would have always been in danger from him. Hermione, on the other hand, probably never would be…at least not in the same way…especially since she had the built in defense system of magic on her side.

Consequently, for the first time in a long time, Edward felt enthusiastic and optimistic about what the future might possibly have in store for him…and he knew that he would keep an open mind when it came to his pretty and magical neighbor. They would definitely be friends…and that would be great…because for obvious reasons, Edward had never had a lot of friends outside of his family unit. However, if Hermione eventually decided that she wanted to be more than that, as well, Edward already knew that he would not push her away as he did to Bella. He did not know what that would mean for them in the long term…if anything…but he knew that whatever they decided to have would be worth it.

…

The decision about how to contact her was taken out of his hands on the very next evening, however – apparently by his own cat. Hermione, who of course had already acquired Edward's information, called to inform him that Dickens the kneazle had been sitting on her stoop when she arrived home from work. He had apparently traveled across the game lands on purpose to see her and, after a bit of a cuddle, was happily engaged in devouring a can of tuna while she informed his housemate of his whereabouts. Far from being upset, though, Edward just laughed at the slyness of his feline while he also silently thanked him for being the perfect excuse to see the lovely witch again. In fact, he offered to come and collect Dickens himself. Then, in the perfect testimony to the speed of a vampire, he knocked on her door just a couple of moments after she ended their call.

They spent that evening much as they had during the previous encounter at his home. After she let him in through her wards (he had been right about her magical security system), Hermione gave him the tour of her small cottage and he realized that she had been correct about the matching layouts. Then it was his turn to become immersed in _her _library – especially when she introduced him to not only the muggle texts that covered every available space on the walls of her common rooms – such as her living room (or _lounge_ as she called it) and kitchen, but also the magical ones that she kept secured in the back rooms - away from any wandering nonmagical eyes that might possibly see them otherwise.

As she gave him the literary tour and showed him the bookcases full of magical texts in her bedroom, where Dickens had made himself at home by curling up in the middle of her bed, Edward could not stop himself from wondering if the presence of the books there meant that only wizards (or other witches?) were invited into such a personal space. That question segued into other, more intimate, thoughts about visitors to her bedroom and Edward found that he had to fight down the absurd feelings of jealousy that had bloomed within him at the idea. After all, he did not even know the woman very well, yet. How could he be envious of any hypothetical lovers that she may or may not have? Therefore, Edward tried very hard to ban the thought from his mind, but it refused to leave completely.

At any rate, in order to keep their low profile, the Cullen family had always purposely stayed away from the magical communities as much as they could. Therefore, Edward was thrilled to finally have the opportunity to access the whole new world of magical knowledge available through Hermione's books – which of course she had offered to share with him whenever he liked. It was exciting because it had been so long since he had actually been able to add anything really new to the vast knowledge base that he had already accumulated and nurtured over most of the last century. Even though he could not _use_ the new information, he would _know_ it…and that was enough for him.

The surprises did not stop there, either. While she magically prepared and ate her own dinner, Hermione introduced Edward to a new culinary pleasure that he had never encountered before…Blood Pops! With her new friend in mind, Hermione had visited the sweet shop in Diagon Alley that afternoon right after she had left the Ministry, and picked up a pack of the only type of vampire treats that she knew about. She simply thought that Edward might like them and that it might make the situation less awkward for them both if he ever joined her for a meal. She did not know which flavor he would prefer the most, though, so she chose the large variety pack. That way he could sample them all at his leisure and choose his favorites. If his leisure just happened to coincide with her presence, though, then so much the better for them both!


End file.
